Tuesday, 14 February 2017

The Dangers of Singularity


         Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a steadily growing trend in television, movies, books, and technology. Ever played a video game? Ever asked Siri a question? AI is everywhere and constantly impacts our lives whether you are aware of it or not.

             Video games are one of the most commonly known forms of artificial intelligence considering video game AI has been used since the first games were invented. However, technology is rapidly advancing and so is the intricacy of the games. I don’t think we have truly appreciated the fact that we currently have video games with characters that are able to learn and adapt themselves based off of your own behaviours. Anything that involves computers thinking for themselves just spooks me, really. Not to mention that you can also experience these things in a Virtual Reality….

             Despite how cool these technological upgrades may seem, they could also be putting us in danger of Singularity. To put in simple terms, Singularity is essentially the event where/when technology outsmarts humans. The development of this “superintelligence” is closer to us than you’d think.

            Unfortunately we can’t predict the future (nor the technology that will be around in 5, 10, or 20 years) so it’s hard to say that the day superintelligence is created will be day the human race is doomed forever. However, almost any information you can find on singularity anticipates it to be a disastrous event out of our control. But I guess there is only so much we can do as individuals to stop this.

          Regardless of all the horror that now harbors inside of my bones, Artificial Intelligence is still an undoubtedly fascinating concept. The ever so popular (and one of my favs) Black Mirror TV series, demonstrates many profound repercussions that could come of all this futuristic technology (definitely a must-watch). Technology is cool to use, scary to think about, but an undeniably strong force. 

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